Enforced Secret Joy # 29 –Freebies at Work

So it looks like today, Friday, is officially my last day at this temp gig. Which is only sudden in that everyone, including my bosses, had been operating under the assumption that NEXT Friday was going to be my last day. But the Powers That Be that run the Finance Department issued the decree that if you really want her to stay another week, you have to come talk to me and justify why. And rather than take up the gleaming sword of She’s Amazing And We’re Helpless Without Her, my bosses caved. They are HOSED, I tell you, and they’re gonna realize how much they needed me to stay, oh, about 9:02am on Monday.

I’m not upset, I knew the end of this particular job was in sight. And as many blog entries can attest, it’s not as though I liked this particular assignment. There is a concern that the temp agency may not have an assignment ready for me to start on Monday, so I could work without a break, but while not working means I go back to eating Ramen and drinking rainwater from the roof, at the very least it gives me more time to WRITE. Those zombies aint gonna kill themselves, ya know.

I’m not looking forward to the multiple good-byes I’ll have to do to in the department. I hate those kind of things. Sure, I can temper it with the whole “I’ll still be on the lot somewhere, as soon as the temp agency places me,” and “You can always request me to fill in for anyone in your department if you have a need.” But the act of saying “Good bye, thank you for everything, you’ve been wonderful to work with,” over and over again wearies me.

But something I WILL miss is all the freebies. The office supplies are a given. Reams of paper, stacks of post-its, boxes of pens, everything an aspiring screenwriter needs to be a happy brainstorming baby.

But since my division was a small part of Marketing and Promotions and Publicity, what I didn’t expect to see was all the free FOOD. It must be from regional clients that the Unnamed Movie Studio works with year round. I’ve been here through two holidays, Christmas and Valentine’s Day, and the amount of free edibles was STAGGERING. Baskets of goodies that one person simply cannot consume themselves, so they put it on the counters in front of their desks, signaling anyone to come by and help themselves.

Chocolate truffles, vanilla chocolate covered pretzels, toffee candy, and more Sprinkles Cupcakes than any one person should scarf down in their lifetime. There was an authentic Mardi Gras King’s Cake last week. It was YUMMERS (no, I didn’t find the plastic baby baked inside. Apparently enough cakes had come through to where certain folks knew exactly where the baby was and went for that section first.)

Everyone in the department has their birthday in January, so there’s usually birthday cake in the kitchen once a week. Not to mention the dozens and dozens of lunch meetings held in the conference room that require catering from the commissary, and that food goes to the kitchen as well. And while I felt like Templeton the rat, scavengering through the left overs for three months. I have to say it was damn good eating.

So when I got the news late last night that today was 90 percent likely going to be my next day, this red velvet cupcake eased the sting. (I am a huge fan of red velvet cupcakes now.)

Dear God, thank you for this job. Thank you that it’s ending. Thank you for the consistent paycheck it provided, which allowed me to continue to pay my bills. And while I don’t know what Monday brings, I trust You to continue to lead me towards the jobs You want me to have. And if I’m being honest (and why not, with You, since You know everything anyway) I have to say that I didn’t understand why You led me to this particular job, since it was so stressful and stupid at times. But if the reason really was as simple as You wanting me to experience a continual stream of baked goods and candy, then thank you thank you thank you. (Yes, I’m sure that there were other reasons which will become clearer later.) Thank you for cookies. Thank you for the free soda. Thank you for the bottles and bottles of Arrowhead water. Thank you that every Friday is Bagel Friday. Thank you that my sense of discipline is such that I was able to indulge and not gain fifty pounds. Thank you for these silly things in life which make other things like stressful jobs bearable. And thank you for this cupcake, which might be the last free one I get. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Amen.